The Routledge Handbook of the Belt and Road

Book excerpt: The second edition of The Routledge Handbook of the Belt and Road encompasses the many recent developments across the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from 2019 to 2021, while retaining the comprehensive introduction to BRI from the first edition. The Handbook is a comprehensive review of the theory and practice of the BRI, the contributors to which are leading researchers in their fields. It illuminates the intentions and principles, history and current status, basic knowledge and latest studies, and promotion mechanisms on the whole BRI. This edition includes 132 entries in total, with a supplementary section on the Belt and Road forums for international cooperation, 22 brand new entries, and 13 revised and updated chapters, reflecting current progress. The book provides an authoritative and up-to-date overview of the BRI, and thereupon an explanatory interpretation of China’s development strategy and international policy stance. Already serving as the essential “encyclopaedia” of the BRI, this second edition will be a must-read for members of global think tanks, policy makers, and observers involved in the BRI construction, as well as researchers interested in international relations, Chinese economics, politics, and international policy.